Not rabble-rousing but deliverance through governance is what Kejriwal should be aiming at and for that he must steer clear of populist overtones that his 49-day rule as Delhi chief minister came to symbolise

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For many Indians, their country’s most exciting politician is neither the firebrand Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi nor the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty scion Rahul Gandhi, but Arvind Kejriwal, a mustachioed, bespectacled former tax inspector whom most people had barely heard of just three years ago.

In February, Kejriwal resigned as chief minister of Delhi just 49 turbulent days after he took office. Freed from the daily grind of running a megacity of 17 million people, the 45-year-old former anti-corruption activist can now concentrate on pole-vaulting his fledgling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), or common man’s party, into parliament in national elections. Although most polls suggest AAP will win fewer than 10 of the 543 seats up for grabs — coming in far behind the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Congress — campaigning is far from over and the party has proved naysayers wrong before in Delhi.

After a decade of policy paralysis under outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, India’s global standing has already taken a beating. With the International Monetary Fund estimating 2014 gross domestic product growth at 4.4 per cent, less than half India’s historic 2011 high of 10 per cent, the last thing the country needs is a charismatic populist who portrays foreign investors as exploiters and Indian businessmen as crooks.

Despite occasional lip service to the private sector, at his core, Kejriwal is an old-fashioned Indian statist whose ideas belong in a museum, not in parliament.

Kejriwal first sprung into national consciousness in 2011 as the architect of an anti-corruption campaign led by then 74-year-old social activist Anna Hazare. Angered by multibillion-dollar government corruption scandals spanning the sale of the telecom spectrum, real estate and procurement for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India’s normally apathetic middle class protested in the streets to back social activist Ann Hazare’s demand for a Jan Lokpal — a powerful anti-corruption ombudsman insulated from political interference. As Hazare’s right-hand man, Kejriwal became a fixture on national television, where he bore the brunt of explaining why the Jan Lokpal was necessary and how it would work. His appeal to idealism and his ability to convey a broadly shared sense of outrage quickly made him a hero to much of the middle class.

In August 2011, after the high-voltage drama of Hazare’s 12-day hunger strike on live television, the Hazare movement managed to extract a promise from India’s government to agree to set up a Jan Lokpal. But once the pressure of the hunger strike was over, negotiations stalled and a rift developed in the movement between two factions. A group led by Kejriwal argued that Hazare’s movement, India Against Corruption, needed to transform itself into a political party to force change from within the system. Others countered that it made more sense to stay above the fray as a pressure group that could influence politics without fighting elections itself.

At first, Kejriwal played the role of a good lieutenant, publicly likening himself to Hanuman, a character from the Hindu epic the Ramayana known for his steadfast loyalty to his king. But when it became clear that Hazare had no intention of entering politics, Kejriwal parted ways with his mentor. In the first clear sign of Kejriwal’s soaring ambition, he chose Mahatma Gandhi’s October 2 birth anniversary in 2012 to announce the creation of a new political party.

The date was no coincidence. Kejriwal calls his fight against corruption “India’s second independence struggle”. AAP supporters sport the cloth caps associated with India’s independence movement, emblazoned with the words “I am a common man” in Hindi to set them apart from run-of-the-mill politicians, most of whom have abandoned the old-fashioned headgear. In 2012, Kejriwal published a slim book called Swaraj (Self-Rule), which echoes Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj (Indian Self-Rule), written in 1909. (Swaraj has been republished in several Indian languages, but remains better known to journalists than the general public.) Written before the demands of full-time electoral politics took over, it remains the single best guide to Kejriwal’s core beliefs.

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If Kejriwal stands for one thing to his fans, it is a fierce sense of morality. For party supporters, AAP, whose symbol is a broom, will sweep away the rot of the old order to usher in a clean and accountable government. During his brief stint as Delhi chief minister this year, Kejriwal eschewed common trappings of political power, such as a gaggle of machine gun-toting bodyguards and a car with a flashing red light that cuts through traffic. On the stump, Kejriwal never tires of reminding voters of how he could have made a fortune shaking down businessmen as a corrupt tax official, but instead chose to quit and become a social activist before turning to politics. “I was an income tax commissioner,” he declared in October at a typical campaign rally in Delhi. “With just one raid, Rs2 crore [Dh1.2 million) would have landed in my home.”

AAP’s transparent approach to finances — it holds US-style fundraising dinners and says it lists all donations on its website — and inexpensive campaign tactics, such as door-to-door canvassing by unpaid volunteers, contrast sharply with the usual murk of Indian politics. While Congress and the BJP plastered Delhi with expensive billboards, AAP relied on volunteers to stand on overpasses with party banners. And Kejriwal’s willingness (some would say eagerness) to be grilled by journalists on television is a departure from the aloofness of established politicians like the BJP’s candidate, Narendra Modi, and the Congress party’s Rahul Gandhi. By publicly hurling accusations of corruption against some of India’s most powerful people — including Congress party president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law, the businessman Robert Vadra, and India’s richest man, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani — Kejriwal has built a reputation for raw courage that few of his peers possess.

Kejriwal’s uncommon biography also helps. Unlike most professional politicians, whose chief qualification for public life is usually either a family pedigree or a talent for sycophancy or rabble-rousing, Kejriwal passed two of India’s most competitive exams: Those for the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Revenue Service.

Unlike the archetypal rustic politician, he is fluent in both Hindi and English. Despite the occasional nod to Muslim clerics, for the most part Kejriwal avoids naked pandering to caste and religion. His two main policy goals — a Jan Lokpal with teeth and radical decentralisation of power to neighbourhoods and village councils — are big ideas, not narrow appeals to identity.

It is hardly surprising then that Kejriwal has struck a chord with many middle-class Indians fed up with politics as usual. For those uncomfortable with the muscular Hindu nationalism of front-runner Modi, Kejriwal offers change without the baggage of religious chauvinism. For those underwhelmed by the dilettantish Rahul — with little to show for a decade in parliament despite his famous last name — the former tax man stands for merit and hard work. For those who despair of the enduring pettiness of India’s regional and caste-based parties, AAP offers a bracing dose of idealism.

Since its establishment less than 18 months ago, the party has signed up more than 10 million members and has established chapters among overseas Indians in 31 countries across five continents. On Twitter and Facebook, reliable proxies for middle-class sentiment, Kejriwal has quickly built a vast following.

Despite this impressive start, to most observers AAP’s prospects in the forthcoming elections, which begin on April 7 and conclude May 12, do not look bright. Notwithstanding the usual caveats (election surveys in India remain as much crapshoot as science; most polls underestimated AAP’s performance; and campaigning for the national elections has only just gathered steam), only an audacious gambler would bet on AAP. India’s gargantuan democracy — with 814 million eligible voters picking 543 directly elected members of parliament in a first-past-the-post system akin to Britain’s — doesn’t usually favour newcomers.

Although AAP plans to contest an ambitious 350 to 400 seats, it lacks the organisation, rural name recognition, and grass roots support outside Delhi to make a serious electoral impact or to significantly dampen the wave of support Modi appears to be riding. The arguably best-regarded Indian poll, by the Delhi-based research institute Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, gives the party only between one and five seats in parliament and just 3 per cent of the national vote. (Modi’s BJP appears on course to emerge as the big winner, with between 193 and 213 seats and 33 per cent of the vote.)

Nonetheless, AAP has already changed the grammar of Indian politics. By capturing power in Delhi, it showed that a party rooted in middle-class ethos can challenge an entrenched political class.

In Delhi, AAP mostly ran fresh-faced outsiders rather than career politicians. The party’s slate of parliamentary candidates includes India’s most prominent election pollster, a fiery former television anchor, a prominent anti-dam activist, a flamboyant Hindi poet, a peace activist grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, a former Miss India, and the former head of Royal Bank of Scotland in India. By running untainted candidates new to politics, AAP may force other parties to widen their nets instead of only nominating the usual cast of thugs, crooks, and dynasts invariably chosen purely for their chances of getting elected.

Kejriwal’s gift for grabbing headlines also underscores AAP’s essential problem: It’s heavy on symbolism and light on substance. Kejriwal has yet to show the faintest temperament for governance. Instead of sticking it out as chief minister, he resigned after just 49 days, citing an inability to get his version of the Jan Lokpal passed in Delhi. And Kejriwal’s economic ideas are a blueprint for disaster.

When he took power in Delhi in December, after one of the most stunning campaign debuts in Indian politics, Kejriwal set about implementing a populist agenda. Keeping a campaign promise, he halved power tariffs. He also dropped legal proceedings against anyone who had not paid an electricity bill in the previous 10 months. (He had claimed, without evidence, that private power companies were cooking the books to gouge consumers.)

In an arid region, Kejriwal granted Delhi residents, including the rich, 20,000 litres of free water per month. In February, Delhi became the first Indian state or union territory to scrap foreign direct investment in big-box stores such as Tesco and Walmart, rolling back a 13-month-old reform by the federal government meant to modernise India’s retail sector. (The BJP-ruled state of Rajasthan quickly followed suit.)

And instead of focusing on the city’s real problems — such as pollution, traffic, and drainage — Kejriwal spent his time in office preening for the cameras. In January, he brought life in central Delhi to a halt by taking to the streets over a squabble with Delhi’s police force, which the federal government controls. He also managed to get bogged down in warding off allegations against his law minister, Somnath Bharti, who organised a bizarre midnight vigilante raid against African immigrants whom he accused of prostitution.

In a February speech to the Confederation of Indian Industries, an influential association of Indian businesses, Kejriwal tried to calm fears that he was just another fiscally reckless populist eager to squabble publicly with the private sector in order to garner votes. He spoke with feeling about his grandfather’s small oil mill and the harassment he faced from petty officials. He distinguished between capitalism and crony capitalism and conceded that the vast majority of businessmen were forced to pay bribes by India’s complex bureaucracy swaddled in red tape. AAP’s economic agenda talks of restoring high growth and boosting manufacturing. Not coincidentally, the election front-runner, Modi, is campaigning partly on the strength of his pro-business record in running the western state of Gujarat.

Unfortunately, Kejriwal’s attempted makeover lacks credibility. AAP’s top leadership draws heavily from grizzled foes of liberalisation and globalisation. A senior AAP leader, Prashant Bhushan, has reportedly called for the nationalisation of airports and power plants. And the only time Kejriwal sounds remotely reasonable about business is when he is speaking to a business audience. For the most part, a common theme runs through his writing and speeches: Foreign investment is evil, and businessmen who make profits are crooks unless proven otherwise. His book, Swaraj, opens with a laughable anecdote about an honest income tax official bullied by a corrupt multinational executive who claims that India’s parliament is in his pocket. In reality, multinationals in India often complain of harassment by whimsical tax men with vast discretionary powers.

In his campaign speeches, Kejriwal sometimes sounds as though AAP is running against Ambani — whom Kejriwal regularly accuses of colluding with the government to inflate gas prices — rather than against the BJP or Congress. Journalists who question this shooting-from-the-hip style are immediately dismissed as being on the take.

And AAP’s signature idea — a Jan Lokpal tougher than the one parliament had established in December in response to the 2011 protests — fundamentally misreads the causes of corruption in India. It assumes that a new layer of bureaucracy, staffed by officials miraculously immune to bribery, will solve a problem caused by too much bureaucracy in the first place. The World Bank ranks India 134 out of 189 countries in terms of ease of doing business, behind such exemplars of free enterprise as Pakistan, Ukraine, and Uganda. On an average, starting a business in India requires 12 procedures and takes 27 days; in Singapore it takes three procedures and less than three days.

Kejriwal also shows a capacity for hypocrisy unusual even for a politician. Throughout 2013, he repeatedly promised Delhi voters that AAP would never work with Congress to form a government, only to swiftly reverse himself once the results came in and showed him short of a majority. After campaigning against ostentation in public life, he shocked many supporters by commandeering two houses luxurious by Delhi standards, before an outcry forced him to change his mind. Despite frequently attacking Modi for using private jets, Kejriwal hopped onto one himself in early March to return to Delhi in time for a speech at a high-profile media conclave. And after claiming that AAP representatives elected as state legislators would not contest parliamentary elections, Kejriwal himself is running against Modi in the northern city of Varanasi.

In the long term, anyone serious about ending corruption in India must fight it while growing the economy. For all his graft-busting zeal, Kejriwal appears to have ignored a simple fact: Governance in rich countries is usually cleaner than in poor ones. Average per capita income in the five countries perceived as the least corrupt, according to Transparency International’s 2013 ranking, was about $40,000 (Dh147,120). For the five most corrupt countries it was $1,500; India’s is roughly $4,000.

With the possible exception of tiny Singapore, countries became rich before they became clean. To emulate them, India needs private firms to be treated as job creators, not criminals, and it needs plenty of foreign investment by multinationals. The last thing it requires is a return to the reflexes of the licence-permit raj (reign), when government was the solution to every problem and anyone who ran a successful business immediately became an object of suspicion.

In a March 2013 speech at the Wharton India Economic Forum, Kejriwal observed that “when Indians go abroad they have excelled in every field” because “Indians are first-class people who are victims of third-class governance”. There is a grain of truth in those statements, but if Kejriwal wants people to trust him to fix the problem, he ought to consider earning that trust by running a state effectively for a full five-year term. Until he can prove that he will not shred business confidence and turn government into a kind of vaudeville act for the cameras, India is better off with Citizen Kejriwal as a maverick on the sidelines rather than as a serious contender for power.

Comments

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Abu Amir

Apr 1, 2014 6:19

As of today, there is huge disparity between the rich and poor and gapis widening every single day. How can power hungry people who doanything for votes, help the poor and needy of our country. more than50%, i.e. more than 500 million people are said to be below the povertyline...... why is this happening..is this what democracy is madeof...Today INDIA is one of worlds leading economies ...then how comemore than half of Indians are below the poverty line.... last 60+ years..BJP or Congress ruled...both are same... Its time we bring newpeople, after all we need to show that others can also come to powerelse nothing will change for India even in 200 years.. .. I am notsaying AK is the best but he is the ONLY HOPE and we need to providesupport to his party and show all the politicians in india that there ismore than BJP and Congress.... So I suggest to vote for AAP.

Amman Khan

Apr 1, 2014 6:18

India needs more AKs to completely politically wipe

Mohammad Shariq Aijaz

Apr 1, 2014 5:59

I donno how an editor of GN has allowed publishing the same.Before publishing this type of statement editor should check and itshould not be a one sided and biased statement.

azeez

Apr 1, 2014 5:41

this author is well known as bjp supporter , for indian , arawindkejriwal is a hero, ak will change indian political system just wait andsee ,we have 100 % confidence in that

Kumar Shastri

Apr 1, 2014 5:33

The last para in the article say's it all. “when Indians go abroadthey have excelled in every field” because “Indians arefirst-class people who are victims of third-class governance”.There is a grain of truth in those statements. I would not call it grainof truth but a sack of truth.

prachodkumar

Apr 1, 2014 5:21

It clearly shows that it is paid news. Previous articles from Gulf newsshows that they are against Aravind Kejriwal. Truth will not hideforever. If you are doing good journalism, you need to be true.

amit

Apr 1, 2014 5:17

I live in Delhi, I attended most of AAPs rallies and meetings before itcame to power in Delhi AND TODAY I DONT WANT AAP TO DENT LS 2014 resultscoz this man KEJRIWAL is far from what most of the friends think/thought him to be/ expected him to be. He isnt called a SCOOTER CM fornothing. He has let down the entire Janta who voted for him in delhi.From Joining hands with Cong against whom he vouched and came to power.Then doling out tax payers money to reward people who supported his 'Nopayment of electricity bills' campaign, then water farce, thenelectricity rate cut bluff, then insulting the constitution of India byterming Republic day parade as 'Fanfare for the rich and the powerful..'besides threatening of stalling this years RDay event...He is nothingbut a motley crew with 2 faces...He vouched that Delhi CM S Dixit wouldbe in jail for the graft charges and CWG scams...he did nothing againsther but changed track against Modi, this baffled a lot of people who wereexpecting simple honesty from this man. Today, all his main moves are inBJP states...he is not contesting against Cong in their core states, Heis said to have pulled out his candidates from contesting against Salmankhurshid and sachin pilot?? why? Some will say that AAP man KumarVishawas is contesting against Rahul Gandhi BUT only who know groundreality of Amethi know that it is just a sham, Kumar Vishwas is bound tolose against Gandhi...In short, to all my friends from outside Delhi,sply outside country, please know more before falling in love with thischaracter who so strongly has been doubted of receiving foreignfunds(NOT FROM VOLUNTEERS BUT FROM FOREIGN AGENCIES) with credibleinputs available on the net. I really hope like Kejriwal handed overDelhi Govt to Congress by Proxy(Delhi ruled by Lt. Governor hand pickedby Gandhis), doesnt allow the same with Indian Govt in LS'14 I said itas it is....you may like to double check before you trust what i have seenin Delhi in the last 5 months.

James

Apr 1, 2014 4:55

I wonder why these biased articles find a place in Gulf news. Everyoneknows that vested private industries are behind promoting people likeModi who is one amongst the most inefficient and criminal backgroundMinister in India. He is directly responsible for abetting murder ofinnocent people of muslim community in the State of Gujrat. Why doespeople supporting him and their opinion matter anyway? It is just a lie.AAP is a party which is rising steadily on certain principles and manypeople are afraid of them.

K

Apr 1, 2014 4:32

I Cant believe some writer pointing finger on Honest person, Really isthis Gulf news? I doubt its a paid article as its referring Modi asFire blade and criticizing AK.

Prakash

Apr 1, 2014 4:28

This is a full biased news and we never expect such news from Our Gulfnews...AAP is required for equality and justice that forms a part of theconstitution of India . Common people of India remain unheard and unseenexcept when it suits the politician. Aap wants to reverse the way thatthe accountability of government operates and has taken aninterpretation of the Gandhian concept of swaraj as a tenet. It believesthat through swaraj the government will be directly accountable to thepeople instead of higher officials. The swaraj model lays stress on selfgovernance, community building and decentralization.

Yasir

Apr 1, 2014 4:09

Please dont forget that BJP (the so called mascot of Governance) rose toprominence by rousing the Hindu chauvinism and various other smallerparties either raised the communal or caste sentiments. In AAP's case,I agree that some of his ideas are old fashioned but the crusade againstthe corrupt was much needed. The party is only 18 months old andstrongly believe that with the constellation of people it has and withexperience its further stride will be more mature and business friendly.Induction of Mera Sanyal, Balakrishnan, Gopinath demonstrate itswiliness to accommodate the genuine corporate interest but not thecronies like Ambani.

Syed Hussain

Apr 1, 2014 3:45

I share the opinion expressed by many of your commentators that thearticle is highly biased and one side comment against A Kejriwal. Indianeeds a person like this young person for change and not a man runningon the wave of sectarianism or a representative of dynasties.

D K Gupta

Apr 1, 2014 3:17

Looks like the writer does not have understanding or highly biasedsince the article tries to hide the important aspects and tries to givewrong factual information. However, the tone of the article lookshighly biased. This article thus tries to misguide, especiallyinternational readers who do not have ground experience in India.Details: I am ignoring the tone of the article just going by thecontents The most important aspect about the formation of party iswrongly described. It says that “government to agree to set up aJan Lokpal” and then jumps to “rift developed in themovement between two factions”. It does not mention that mostimport fact that the after government agreed to setup a Jan Lokpalfailed to keepup its commitment, like other previous governments formore than 40+ years. Just to remind that this “Jan Lokpal”issues was not started in 2011 but 40+ years back. In 2011 this got themass support it needed. The AAP part was formed when there wasrealization that since most the politicians have huge conflict ofinterest since most of them are directly or indirectly beneficiary ofcorruption. At this moment there were difference of opinion in the teamand some people who thought that the best way to deal is to go inside ofpolitics. The people who were of this school of thought, created thepolitical party AAP. The article says “And Kejriwal’seconomic ideas are a blueprint for disaster.” And furtherelaborates “he halved power tariffs.” --- This does nottell that the power tariff was halved only up to 400 units. This cost ofthis is miniscule i.e. USD 11 million per month in the total annualoutlay of USD 66 billion. Also if you spend 401 unit per month you haveto pay full amount. So this is not for rich people. “ Kejriwalgranted Delhi residents, including the rich, 20,000 litres of free waterper month” --- Factually wrong. If you consume more than 20,001litres you have to pay full cost. So again this was not for rich.“And instead of focusing on the city’s real problems —such as pollution, traffic, and drainage ..” The write reduces astate government to a city municipal office -- amazing There are morepoints – but I will stop here.

Balaji

Apr 1, 2014 2:59

To all readers who think Aravind ran away from responsibility What couldhe have done with the majority. Could he bring the Jan Lokpal and Swarajinto reality It is better for him to resign than sit as a puppet like MsSheela who is now Governer of Kerala. A person who was proved of badadministration...

Khaja

Apr 1, 2014 2:57

The Article is far from truth. First of all 10 year Rule of ManmohanSingh was not policy paralyzing, India become Economy Stronger. Thewriter should know the The opposition Parties specially BJP and Leftopposed all the good Policy of govt in Parliament and made the countryto bleed. Secondly the Writer is a puppet of BJP and Modi . GNshould check the article before publishing.

vittal

Apr 1, 2014 2:56

If AK is not yet recognised correctly by the people, here is one of hisstatement. When the Federal Govt. agreed for gas price increase uptoUSD 8 Dollars, Mr. AK says, Mr. Modi wrote to Federal Govt. to increasethe gas price to 16 Dollars instead of 8 dollars. This has been statedby AK in a television interview. He explained that one of his friendwho is a bureaucrat in Gujarat Govt. has shown him a copy of Modi'sletter. He has not shown the copy of the letter on the channel. Now Iam asking those who defended AK re this article. Do you really believethat Modi will go to the extent ofrequesting Federal Govt. requesting todouble the gas price than what was already agreed to. I havefollowed AK's antics so far and it looks like to me that he is trying tolead india into anarchy. I also suspect that he is working for thecause of Naxalism. Everybody knows that Naxals trying hard to createchaos anarchy and unrest in the country.

Balaji

Apr 1, 2014 2:50

The author who wrote this is highly corrupt in mind and words. Aravindspeaks out whats in our heart. He stands for people who cannot stand ontheir own. He fights for causes that will change every Indian's life. Imsurprised that the author did not note the reason of Aravind'sresignation. The BJP and Congress were playing handicap with APP whenthe JAN LOKPAL & Swaraj was tabled and APP was helpless without puremajority. Any responsible politician would have supported it. Why havethey kept the govt in suspended animation? Why not re-election? Congress& BJP fears APP will get majority. Your theory on foreign investmentis a joke. You killed local retailers by bringing corporate giants andindirectly supporting foreign market. Is the Indian market independentand self sustaining, "NO". India is a great country and weneed a great Indian to run it. Im not saying it is Aravind but it isdefinitely not Congress or BJP. POLITICIAN - People representative andAravind definitely matches the statement.

Sabeer

Apr 1, 2014 2:31

What a shame to Gulfnews, that too its coming from a GCC country andallowing RSS/BJP fascist writer to write such senseless artlcle in thisgulfnews. Better if you dont know the situtation in India, please do notpublish this type of article.

sharon

Apr 1, 2014 2:19

This is a fake news.Well said Arjun

Mustafa Kamal

Apr 1, 2014 1:46

Writer should correct that in India those clear Indian Revenue ServiceExam never start working as inspector as reported in the story.

Arjun

Apr 1, 2014 1:35

The writer is a BJP paid troll. If anyone has doubt, just go & visithis Twitter TL. Never expected Washington post to employee such biasedand disgraceful people. Mr. Sadanand Dhume, how much you got paid fromBJP for stirring about Arvind & AAP?

Ahsan

Apr 1, 2014 1:17

can't imaginethis type of one sided story publish in Gulf news.

Swapnil

Apr 1, 2014 12:56

The writer is biased against AK, but the fact of the matter is thatIndians are identifying themselves with AAP. Everyone hopes that theywill succeed. Even if they commit mistakes, we forgive, because anycommon man can make such mistakes. It is a democratic revolution unlikethe Arab spring!

pan

Apr 1, 2014 12:54

highly biased article ...which show negativity about arvind kejrival andhis party.. it is being projected that kejriwal is against business butthat is not the case in the FICCI speach kejriwal clearly stated he ispro business but against crony capitalism... for eg. if u see janlokpalandolan it was the congress party who betrayed people while in thearticle it is written that arvind betrayed anna :)... anna did not wantpolitical party but kejrival wanted to improve the system he wentinside..later anna supported mamta so what was that ?... Authorstates AK should focus on state but what happens to the loot happening incountry...why is author unable to show positives of the 49 daygove..such as non corruption culture in delhi people were afraid to ask forbribes ...free 20k ltrs water per month. cheaper electricity...suddenlygovt hospitals were having medicine , facilities were improved...nodonation in nursery admission..many more initiatives....if some one israising voice against corruption why is the author coming in his way...anyhow there is nothing to lose if kejriwal and his party loses wewill be in the same rotten system which is there currently ...as allparties have given tickets to corrupt and criminals.....

Joel Saldanha

Apr 1, 2014 11:52

As a Middle Class Indian since the 70s, I have seen quite a fewpolitical parties take reigns of India at the helm of power. Frankly, inthe last 37-years of my life, not a single team of individuals (barring1 or 2) at that helm really made a positive difference to me as acitizen of India. If I have had the patience to accept these teams whohave maintained their superiority at that helm for 37-years (am nottaking into account the additional 31-years before me) I think I havethe right to pass on this patience to someone who is new and shows astrong sign which signifies a wave of change.... If this someone doesnot prove to be that wave of change, I will be upset over the fact thatit was a wrong choice, but on second thoughts, I would be more upset ifI did not give this someone a chance to prove themselves.

Radhukumar

Apr 1, 2014 11:44

He is not what you think, he is another form of corruption, he is aproxy for Congress; people have already learnt this and who have notlearned will learn it soon. He cannot take responsibility, just anotherperson who wants to get attention but a person without any substance

Surendra Pai

Apr 1, 2014 11:41

India needs more and more AKs to completely politically wipe out theGandhis and all the crooks and criminals surround them.

A Siddiqui

Apr 1, 2014 11:23

A Leader Who Cant Run A "State" Govt For 6 Months Cant BeDangerous. He Only Does Drama To Be In News Headlines. He Fooled AroundDelhi's Public Who Had Shown Trust In Him. He Left Delhi People InTrouble & Now Roaming All India To Come In Central Govt.

R.Vasudevan

Apr 1, 2014 11:13

Unfortunately your newspaper is also part of the media that hascampaigned in subtle and not-so-subtle ways for the Congress; now thatthe writing is on the wall for the UPA-2 government, the media is nowsucking up to AAP. Why this needless publicity to a party that has noclue of professional administration; a party that has taken to anarchyand street justice with violence. On the other hand, it is fortunatethat the voters for the election are in India and not the readers ofexternal media propaganda.

indrani dutt

Apr 1, 2014 11:13

This is a bitter and biased account, even abusive. Please see thelatter as a more balanced assessment : Can Arvind Kejriwal RescueIndian Democracy? - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 28th Mar

Ajay

Apr 1, 2014 11:04

Last hope of India??? I am doubtful....I think you was unable tounderstand the article. He is just the same, who want the power likeother politicians.

advani

Apr 1, 2014 10:59

AK-49 IS GREAT . I THINK THE WRITER IS A BJP / HINDU FASCIST AGENT

Raj

Apr 1, 2014 10:52

Arvind Kejriwal is indeed a nightmare for political big wigs. He iscertainly looking dangerous for corrupt officials and politicos. A greathope for the great country, India.

sajin

Apr 1, 2014 10:43

i dont think the author have any right to comment on India's internalaffairs..better look into gulf matters.

Ahmed Wajeeh Kamal

Apr 1, 2014 10:41

The writer of this article started with Kejriwal And ended with Kejriwal, the whole force of this article was to discredit any politicalrelevance of Arvind kejriwal even taking the liberty to term himdangerous for india . However the very fact that this article iswritten primarily about Mr. Kejriwal confirms his strong politicalpresence besides no government no politician has ever been industryoriented on the contrary the arm twisting and outright illegal ways ofindustrialisation employed by congress , BJP, BSP has only been a meansto overcome political opponents rather any sustained growth . i see apositive outcome if the giants like reliance etc are leashed down toallow some real growth with new corporates and lesser corruption , lowerinflation .

tanwiz

tanwiz

Apr 1, 2014 10:21

The last hope on India...

Ahmed Wajeeh Kamal

Apr 1, 2014 10:41

The writer of this article started with Kejriwal And ended with Kejriwal, the whole force of this article was to discredit any politicalrelevance of Arvind kejriwal even taking the liberty to term himdangerous for india . However the very fact that this article iswritten primarily about Mr. Kejriwal confirms his strong politicalpresence besides no government no politician has ever been industryoriented on the contrary the arm twisting and outright illegal ways ofindustrialisation employed by congress , BJP, BSP has only been a meansto overcome political opponents rather any sustained growth . i see apositive outcome if the giants like reliance etc are leashed down toallow some real growth with new corporates and lesser corruption , lowerinflation .

sajin

Apr 1, 2014 10:43

i dont think the author have any right to comment on India's internalaffairs..better look into gulf matters.

Raj

Apr 1, 2014 10:52

Arvind Kejriwal is indeed a nightmare for political big wigs. He iscertainly looking dangerous for corrupt officials and politicos. A greathope for the great country, India.

advani

Apr 1, 2014 10:59

AK-49 IS GREAT . I THINK THE WRITER IS A BJP / HINDU FASCIST AGENT

Ajay

Apr 1, 2014 11:04

Last hope of India??? I am doubtful....I think you was unable tounderstand the article. He is just the same, who want the power likeother politicians.

indrani dutt

Apr 1, 2014 11:13

This is a bitter and biased account, even abusive. Please see thelatter as a more balanced assessment : Can Arvind Kejriwal RescueIndian Democracy? - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 28th Mar

R.Vasudevan

Apr 1, 2014 11:13

Unfortunately your newspaper is also part of the media that hascampaigned in subtle and not-so-subtle ways for the Congress; now thatthe writing is on the wall for the UPA-2 government, the media is nowsucking up to AAP. Why this needless publicity to a party that has noclue of professional administration; a party that has taken to anarchyand street justice with violence. On the other hand, it is fortunatethat the voters for the election are in India and not the readers ofexternal media propaganda.

A Siddiqui

Apr 1, 2014 11:23

A Leader Who Cant Run A "State" Govt For 6 Months Cant BeDangerous. He Only Does Drama To Be In News Headlines. He Fooled AroundDelhi's Public Who Had Shown Trust In Him. He Left Delhi People InTrouble & Now Roaming All India To Come In Central Govt.

Surendra Pai

Apr 1, 2014 11:41

India needs more and more AKs to completely politically wipe out theGandhis and all the crooks and criminals surround them.

Radhukumar

Apr 1, 2014 11:44

He is not what you think, he is another form of corruption, he is aproxy for Congress; people have already learnt this and who have notlearned will learn it soon. He cannot take responsibility, just anotherperson who wants to get attention but a person without any substance

Joel Saldanha

Apr 1, 2014 11:52

As a Middle Class Indian since the 70s, I have seen quite a fewpolitical parties take reigns of India at the helm of power. Frankly, inthe last 37-years of my life, not a single team of individuals (barring1 or 2) at that helm really made a positive difference to me as acitizen of India. If I have had the patience to accept these teams whohave maintained their superiority at that helm for 37-years (am nottaking into account the additional 31-years before me) I think I havethe right to pass on this patience to someone who is new and shows astrong sign which signifies a wave of change.... If this someone doesnot prove to be that wave of change, I will be upset over the fact thatit was a wrong choice, but on second thoughts, I would be more upset ifI did not give this someone a chance to prove themselves.

pan

Apr 1, 2014 12:54

highly biased article ...which show negativity about arvind kejrival andhis party.. it is being projected that kejriwal is against business butthat is not the case in the FICCI speach kejriwal clearly stated he ispro business but against crony capitalism... for eg. if u see janlokpalandolan it was the congress party who betrayed people while in thearticle it is written that arvind betrayed anna :)... anna did not wantpolitical party but kejrival wanted to improve the system he wentinside..later anna supported mamta so what was that ?... Authorstates AK should focus on state but what happens to the loot happening incountry...why is author unable to show positives of the 49 daygove..such as non corruption culture in delhi people were afraid to ask forbribes ...free 20k ltrs water per month. cheaper electricity...suddenlygovt hospitals were having medicine , facilities were improved...nodonation in nursery admission..many more initiatives....if some one israising voice against corruption why is the author coming in his way...anyhow there is nothing to lose if kejriwal and his party loses wewill be in the same rotten system which is there currently ...as allparties have given tickets to corrupt and criminals.....

Swapnil

Apr 1, 2014 12:56

The writer is biased against AK, but the fact of the matter is thatIndians are identifying themselves with AAP. Everyone hopes that theywill succeed. Even if they commit mistakes, we forgive, because anycommon man can make such mistakes. It is a democratic revolution unlikethe Arab spring!

Ahsan

Apr 1, 2014 1:17

can't imaginethis type of one sided story publish in Gulf news.

Arjun

Apr 1, 2014 1:35

The writer is a BJP paid troll. If anyone has doubt, just go & visithis Twitter TL. Never expected Washington post to employee such biasedand disgraceful people. Mr. Sadanand Dhume, how much you got paid fromBJP for stirring about Arvind & AAP?

Mustafa Kamal

Apr 1, 2014 1:46

Writer should correct that in India those clear Indian Revenue ServiceExam never start working as inspector as reported in the story.

sharon

Apr 1, 2014 2:19

This is a fake news.Well said Arjun

Sabeer

Apr 1, 2014 2:31

What a shame to Gulfnews, that too its coming from a GCC country andallowing RSS/BJP fascist writer to write such senseless artlcle in thisgulfnews. Better if you dont know the situtation in India, please do notpublish this type of article.

Balaji

Apr 1, 2014 2:50

The author who wrote this is highly corrupt in mind and words. Aravindspeaks out whats in our heart. He stands for people who cannot stand ontheir own. He fights for causes that will change every Indian's life. Imsurprised that the author did not note the reason of Aravind'sresignation. The BJP and Congress were playing handicap with APP whenthe JAN LOKPAL & Swaraj was tabled and APP was helpless without puremajority. Any responsible politician would have supported it. Why havethey kept the govt in suspended animation? Why not re-election? Congress& BJP fears APP will get majority. Your theory on foreign investmentis a joke. You killed local retailers by bringing corporate giants andindirectly supporting foreign market. Is the Indian market independentand self sustaining, "NO". India is a great country and weneed a great Indian to run it. Im not saying it is Aravind but it isdefinitely not Congress or BJP. POLITICIAN - People representative andAravind definitely matches the statement.

vittal

Apr 1, 2014 2:56

If AK is not yet recognised correctly by the people, here is one of hisstatement. When the Federal Govt. agreed for gas price increase uptoUSD 8 Dollars, Mr. AK says, Mr. Modi wrote to Federal Govt. to increasethe gas price to 16 Dollars instead of 8 dollars. This has been statedby AK in a television interview. He explained that one of his friendwho is a bureaucrat in Gujarat Govt. has shown him a copy of Modi'sletter. He has not shown the copy of the letter on the channel. Now Iam asking those who defended AK re this article. Do you really believethat Modi will go to the extent ofrequesting Federal Govt. requesting todouble the gas price than what was already agreed to. I havefollowed AK's antics so far and it looks like to me that he is trying tolead india into anarchy. I also suspect that he is working for thecause of Naxalism. Everybody knows that Naxals trying hard to createchaos anarchy and unrest in the country.

Khaja

Apr 1, 2014 2:57

The Article is far from truth. First of all 10 year Rule of ManmohanSingh was not policy paralyzing, India become Economy Stronger. Thewriter should know the The opposition Parties specially BJP and Leftopposed all the good Policy of govt in Parliament and made the countryto bleed. Secondly the Writer is a puppet of BJP and Modi . GNshould check the article before publishing.

Balaji

Apr 1, 2014 2:59

To all readers who think Aravind ran away from responsibility What couldhe have done with the majority. Could he bring the Jan Lokpal and Swarajinto reality It is better for him to resign than sit as a puppet like MsSheela who is now Governer of Kerala. A person who was proved of badadministration...

D K Gupta

Apr 1, 2014 3:17

Looks like the writer does not have understanding or highly biasedsince the article tries to hide the important aspects and tries to givewrong factual information. However, the tone of the article lookshighly biased. This article thus tries to misguide, especiallyinternational readers who do not have ground experience in India.Details: I am ignoring the tone of the article just going by thecontents The most important aspect about the formation of party iswrongly described. It says that “government to agree to set up aJan Lokpal” and then jumps to “rift developed in themovement between two factions”. It does not mention that mostimport fact that the after government agreed to setup a Jan Lokpalfailed to keepup its commitment, like other previous governments formore than 40+ years. Just to remind that this “Jan Lokpal”issues was not started in 2011 but 40+ years back. In 2011 this got themass support it needed. The AAP part was formed when there wasrealization that since most the politicians have huge conflict ofinterest since most of them are directly or indirectly beneficiary ofcorruption. At this moment there were difference of opinion in the teamand some people who thought that the best way to deal is to go inside ofpolitics. The people who were of this school of thought, created thepolitical party AAP. The article says “And Kejriwal’seconomic ideas are a blueprint for disaster.” And furtherelaborates “he halved power tariffs.” --- This does nottell that the power tariff was halved only up to 400 units. This cost ofthis is miniscule i.e. USD 11 million per month in the total annualoutlay of USD 66 billion. Also if you spend 401 unit per month you haveto pay full amount. So this is not for rich people. “ Kejriwalgranted Delhi residents, including the rich, 20,000 litres of free waterper month” --- Factually wrong. If you consume more than 20,001litres you have to pay full cost. So again this was not for rich.“And instead of focusing on the city’s real problems —such as pollution, traffic, and drainage ..” The write reduces astate government to a city municipal office -- amazing There are morepoints – but I will stop here.

Syed Hussain

Apr 1, 2014 3:45

I share the opinion expressed by many of your commentators that thearticle is highly biased and one side comment against A Kejriwal. Indianeeds a person like this young person for change and not a man runningon the wave of sectarianism or a representative of dynasties.

Yasir

Apr 1, 2014 4:09

Please dont forget that BJP (the so called mascot of Governance) rose toprominence by rousing the Hindu chauvinism and various other smallerparties either raised the communal or caste sentiments. In AAP's case,I agree that some of his ideas are old fashioned but the crusade againstthe corrupt was much needed. The party is only 18 months old andstrongly believe that with the constellation of people it has and withexperience its further stride will be more mature and business friendly.Induction of Mera Sanyal, Balakrishnan, Gopinath demonstrate itswiliness to accommodate the genuine corporate interest but not thecronies like Ambani.

Prakash

Apr 1, 2014 4:28

This is a full biased news and we never expect such news from Our Gulfnews...AAP is required for equality and justice that forms a part of theconstitution of India . Common people of India remain unheard and unseenexcept when it suits the politician. Aap wants to reverse the way thatthe accountability of government operates and has taken aninterpretation of the Gandhian concept of swaraj as a tenet. It believesthat through swaraj the government will be directly accountable to thepeople instead of higher officials. The swaraj model lays stress on selfgovernance, community building and decentralization.

K

Apr 1, 2014 4:32

I Cant believe some writer pointing finger on Honest person, Really isthis Gulf news? I doubt its a paid article as its referring Modi asFire blade and criticizing AK.

James

Apr 1, 2014 4:55

I wonder why these biased articles find a place in Gulf news. Everyoneknows that vested private industries are behind promoting people likeModi who is one amongst the most inefficient and criminal backgroundMinister in India. He is directly responsible for abetting murder ofinnocent people of muslim community in the State of Gujrat. Why doespeople supporting him and their opinion matter anyway? It is just a lie.AAP is a party which is rising steadily on certain principles and manypeople are afraid of them.

amit

Apr 1, 2014 5:17

I live in Delhi, I attended most of AAPs rallies and meetings before itcame to power in Delhi AND TODAY I DONT WANT AAP TO DENT LS 2014 resultscoz this man KEJRIWAL is far from what most of the friends think/thought him to be/ expected him to be. He isnt called a SCOOTER CM fornothing. He has let down the entire Janta who voted for him in delhi.From Joining hands with Cong against whom he vouched and came to power.Then doling out tax payers money to reward people who supported his 'Nopayment of electricity bills' campaign, then water farce, thenelectricity rate cut bluff, then insulting the constitution of India byterming Republic day parade as 'Fanfare for the rich and the powerful..'besides threatening of stalling this years RDay event...He is nothingbut a motley crew with 2 faces...He vouched that Delhi CM S Dixit wouldbe in jail for the graft charges and CWG scams...he did nothing againsther but changed track against Modi, this baffled a lot of people who wereexpecting simple honesty from this man. Today, all his main moves are inBJP states...he is not contesting against Cong in their core states, Heis said to have pulled out his candidates from contesting against Salmankhurshid and sachin pilot?? why? Some will say that AAP man KumarVishawas is contesting against Rahul Gandhi BUT only who know groundreality of Amethi know that it is just a sham, Kumar Vishwas is bound tolose against Gandhi...In short, to all my friends from outside Delhi,sply outside country, please know more before falling in love with thischaracter who so strongly has been doubted of receiving foreignfunds(NOT FROM VOLUNTEERS BUT FROM FOREIGN AGENCIES) with credibleinputs available on the net. I really hope like Kejriwal handed overDelhi Govt to Congress by Proxy(Delhi ruled by Lt. Governor hand pickedby Gandhis), doesnt allow the same with Indian Govt in LS'14 I said itas it is....you may like to double check before you trust what i have seenin Delhi in the last 5 months.

prachodkumar

Apr 1, 2014 5:21

It clearly shows that it is paid news. Previous articles from Gulf newsshows that they are against Aravind Kejriwal. Truth will not hideforever. If you are doing good journalism, you need to be true.

Kumar Shastri

Apr 1, 2014 5:33

The last para in the article say's it all. “when Indians go abroadthey have excelled in every field” because “Indians arefirst-class people who are victims of third-class governance”.There is a grain of truth in those statements. I would not call it grainof truth but a sack of truth.

azeez

Apr 1, 2014 5:41

this author is well known as bjp supporter , for indian , arawindkejriwal is a hero, ak will change indian political system just wait andsee ,we have 100 % confidence in that

Mohammad Shariq Aijaz

Apr 1, 2014 5:59

I donno how an editor of GN has allowed publishing the same.Before publishing this type of statement editor should check and itshould not be a one sided and biased statement.

Amman Khan

Apr 1, 2014 6:18

India needs more AKs to completely politically wipe

Abu Amir

Apr 1, 2014 6:19

As of today, there is huge disparity between the rich and poor and gapis widening every single day. How can power hungry people who doanything for votes, help the poor and needy of our country. more than50%, i.e. more than 500 million people are said to be below the povertyline...... why is this happening..is this what democracy is madeof...Today INDIA is one of worlds leading economies ...then how comemore than half of Indians are below the poverty line.... last 60+ years..BJP or Congress ruled...both are same... Its time we bring newpeople, after all we need to show that others can also come to powerelse nothing will change for India even in 200 years.. .. I am notsaying AK is the best but he is the ONLY HOPE and we need to providesupport to his party and show all the politicians in india that there ismore than BJP and Congress.... So I suggest to vote for AAP.

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As of today, there is huge disparity between the rich and poor and gapis widening every single day. How can power hungry people who doanything for votes, help the poor and needy of our country. more than50%, i.e. more than 500 million people are said to be below the povertyline...... why is this happening..is this what democracy is madeof...Today INDIA is one of worlds leading economies ...then how comemore than half of Indians are below the poverty line.... last 60+ years..BJP or Congress ruled...both are same... Its time we bring newpeople, after all we need to show that others can also come to powerelse nothing will change for India even in 200 years.. .. I am notsaying AK is the best but he is the ONLY HOPE and we need to providesupport to his party and show all the politicians in india that there ismore than BJP and Congress.... So I suggest to vote for AAP.

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